Husqvarna FS 450 2016 — Specifications

When Husqvarna decides to take its enduro roots and asphalt them to the core, the result is the FS 450. Not a showroom supermoto, not a Sunday morning toy. A machine designed for those who know their trajectories by heart and want a motorcycle worthy of their ambitions. At €10,150, it is not for the undecided, and that’s a very good thing.

The heart of the project is this 449 cc single-cylinder engine, which delivers 63 horsepower on the scale. A figure that may seem modest compared to a Ducati Hypermotard or a BMW G 310 R fueled by dreams, but on a machine that weighs 110 kg dry, the power-to-weight ratio works in your favor with a rather delightful brutality. The bore of 95 mm for a stroke of 63.4 mm, the compression ratio of 12.75:1 and the four valves per cylinder define a high-revving, nervous engine that demands to be frankly engaged. The APTC anti-slipping clutch does the rest during braking, keeping the rear wheel disciplined where other less refined machines would spin out of control.

The tubular chrome-molybdenum steel frame embodies all the off-road expertise of the Swedish brand. Engineers have played with stiffness surgically: more torsion, less longitudinal rigidity, so that the front end communicates with the rider's hands rather than filtering information. The rear carbon fiber sub-structure is a courageous choice in this segment, removing a kilo while trimming the silhouette. The 48 mm closed cartridge WP fork with its 280 mm of travel and the multi-adjustable rear shock (high and low speed compression, rebound) offer a serious base for those who want to personalize the behavior according to the circuit or their style. This is a level of adjustability rarely found outside of pure competition machines, and the Husqvarna FS 450 supermoto offers it as standard.

Brembo brakes sign the deceleration performance with a radial four-piston caliper on a 310 mm disc at the front, assisted by a single piston on 220 mm behind. The bite is precise, the modulation accessible. The high saddle at 927 mm closes the door to short-legged riders, and this is the only real ergonomic drawback of a machine otherwise well thought out for repeated effort. The 9.5-liter fuel tank also sets road ambitions to their proper measure: this is a track tool homologated for the road, not a disguised tourer.

What distinguishes the road-homologated Husqvarna FS 450 from its direct competitors, such as the KTM 450 SMR, which it shares a good part of the industrial DNA with, is the care given to the onboard electronics. The handlebar-mounted map selector, the launch control, the Keihin management with integrated gear sensor form a coherent ensemble that places the motorcycle in a category of its own for the homologated supermoto. All Husqvarna FS 450 used versions available since 2016 benefit from this solid technical base, with maintenance intervals of 100 hours that relativize the cost of ownership. For the serious track rider looking for a Husqvarna FS 450 for sale, the technical specifications speak for themselves.